1. Field of the invention
The invention relates generally to integrated computer modules and, more specifically, to an integrated computer module of compact construction which controls its own environment and efficiently cools its high power components by accelerating air within a cooling tunnel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today""s personal computers (PC""s) are usually sold in a desktop configuration or a notebook configuration. Desktop PC""s are generally housed in a relatively large chassis containing a main printed circuit board or xe2x80x9cmotherboardxe2x80x9d and other components that are incorporated into or connected to the motherboard. The components may be located inside or outside of the chassis. Typical internal components include a power supply, a central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), a mass storage device such as a magnetic disk drive, expansion cards connected to a bus on the motherboard, and various peripherals mounted on xe2x80x9crailsxe2x80x9d in xe2x80x9cbaysxe2x80x9d within the chassis and electrically connected to the motherboard or an associated expansion card by a ribbon cable or the like. Typical expansion cards are a SCSI adapter, a sound adapter, and a network adapter. Typical bay-mounted peripherals are a magnetic disk drive, a floppy drive, a tape drive or a CD-ROM drive. Typical external xe2x80x9cperipheralsxe2x80x9d include user input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a joystick, a graphics tablet or a scanner) and user output devices such as speakers a printer, and a video display device (e.g. a CRT display or an LCD display). The video adapter that controls the display, as with other adapters, may be integrated into the motherboard or provided on a separate expansion card.
The users of desktop PC""s may be divided into two divergent groups: (1) experienced users who understand the individual components and tend to frequently upgrade their PC""s by replacing such components, and (2) new users who do not understand or even want to understand the individual components. The latter group may prefer to replace the entire PC, if they upgrade at all. With respect to both groups, however, it has been observed that the need or desire to upgrade occurs far sooner with respect to some components than with respect to other components. In particular, users more frequently upgrade the CPU, the RAM, the magnetic disk drive, and the video adapter. These upgrades tend to provide more capacity and more speed because of rapid technological advancements on the part of manufacturers in response to ever-increasing demands from ever more complicated and more graphics intensive software applications and an associated increase in file sizes. Both user-types less frequently need or desire to upgrade the monitor, the speakers, the keyboard or the power supply, however, because these latter components have withstood the test of time and employ technologies that are less prone to obsolescence.
These inventors expect that the computer paradigm will move from a large chassis full of individual components of different manufacture toward a readily upgraded system consisting of two primary components: (1) an integrated computer module that compactly houses the frequently upgraded components (e.g. the CPU, the memory, the disk drive, and the video adapter) and provides a module connector for interfacing the module""s electronics with peripherals, and (2) a xe2x80x9chost assemblyxe2x80x9d with a docking bay that receives the module and provides a host connector that mates with the module connector. The host assembly can comprise any xe2x80x9cshellxe2x80x9d that includes the bay that receives the integrated computer module. The docking bay may be in a host assembly that doubles as a peripheral or in an intermediate assembly that is connected to conventional peripherals. The host assembly, for example, may function and appear generally like a conventional CRT display, save for the addition of the docking bay. A CRT-like host assembly of this nature would also provide a first connector for receiving input from a keyboard and, in all likelihood, a second connector for receiving input from a mouse. As another example, the host assembly may appear like a conventional tower chassis that contains a docking bay for receiving the module, and suitable electronics (e.g. a PCB, cables, and so on) to interface the integrated computer module to conventional expansion cards via an expansion bus, and to conventional peripherals like a display, a keyboard, and a mouse, via connector ports built-in to the host assembly or carried by an expansion card.
There are a number challenges associated with packing computer components and storage capability into a small integrated computer module. One such challenge is maintaining safe operating temperatures given a microprocessor and other components that dissipate relatively high levels of power.
Computer modules and associated bays have already been proposed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,742 that issued to Kobayashi in 1995, assigned to Hitachi, the inventor discloses a xe2x80x9cpersonal processor modulexe2x80x9d (PPM) that fits within a notebook type docking station or a desktop type docking station, or simply attaches to a docking housing 6 that is cabled to a keyboard and a monitor. (See FIG. 1). The ""742 Patent discloses an embodiment in FIGS. 6 and 7 where a magnetic disk drive and a PCB which carries a microprocessor are situated in a in an enclosure having air flow openings. The air flow openings are associated with shutters that are biased in a closed position, but open when the PPM is inserted. The PPM disclosed in the ""742 Patent, however, relies entirely upon a cooling fan contained in the docking station.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,710 that issued in 1996 to Rahamim et al., also assigned to Hitachi, the inventors also disclose a PPM involving a disk drive and a main PCB. The ""710 Patent, however, focuses on a passive cooling structure involving a xe2x80x9cliquid heatsinkxe2x80x9d which thermally couples heat generating components to the case.
There remains a need, therefore, for an integrated computer module with a simple, rugged mechanism for independently and effectively cooling the heat generating components contained therein.
In a first aspect, the invention may be regarded as an integrated computer module adapted for removable insertion into a docking bay within a host assembly, and upon such insertion for connecting to a host connector, the integrated computer module comprising: an enclosure defined by a front wall, a back wall opposite the front wall, a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, a floor wall, and a ceiling wall; a main printed circuit board assembly (main PCBA) located in the enclosure, the main PCBA including a microprocessor dissipating heat; a module connector electrically connected to the main PCBA and supported at the enclosure""s back wall for connection to the host connector upon insertion of the integrated module into the docking bay in the host assembly; a plurality of front and back cooling apertures in the front and back walls of the enclosure, respectively; a cooling tunnel located between the plurality of front and back cooling apertures; a cooling fan located adjacent to the plurality of front cooling apertures, the cooling fan having an exit profile of a first area, the cooling tunnel having a tunnel profile of a second area that is smaller than the first area of the fan""s exit profile; tapering means for accelerating cooling air that is flowing from the fan""s exit profile into the cooling tunnel; and a heat sink bonded to the microprocessor and extending upward therefrom into the cooling tunnel through which the accelerated cooling air is passing.
In a second aspect, the invention may be regarded as an integrated computer module adapted for removable insertion into a docking bay within a host assembly, and upon such insertion for connecting to a host connector, the integrated computer module comprising: an enclosure defined by a front wall, a back wall opposite the front wall, a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, a floor wall, and a ceiling wall; a main printed circuit board assembly (main PCBA) located in the enclosure, the main PCBA including a microprocessor dissipating heat; a module connector electrically connected to the main PCBA and supported at the enclosure""s back wall for connection to the host connector upon insertion of the integrated module into the docking bay in the host assembly; a plurality of front and back cooling apertures in the front and back walls of the enclosure, respectively; a cooling tunnel located between the plurality of front and back cooling apertures, the cooling tunnel defined by the main PCBA., the ceiling wall, the first side wall, and a partition member with a vertical dimension that extends substantially between the main PCBA and the ceiling wall and a horizontal dimension that extends substantially between the front wall and the back wall.; a cooling fan located adjacent to the plurality of front cooling apertures, the cooling fan having an exit profile of a first area, the cooling tunnel having a tunnel profile of a second area that is smaller than the first area of the fan""s exit profile; tapering means for accelerating cooling air that is flowing from the fan""s exit profile into the cooling tunnel; and a heat sink bonded to the microprocessor and extending upward therefrom into the cooling tunnel through which the accelerated cooling air is passing.